Yarn condenser for textile machines



Sept. 20, 1966 R- L. CARROLL 3,273,206

YARN CONDENSER FOR TEXTILE MACHINES Filed March 9, 1964 United States Patent 3,273,206 YARN CONDENSER FUR TEXTILE MACIHNES Robert L. Carroli, 401 Mclver St, Greenville, S.C. Filed Mar. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 350,451 4 Claims. (Cl. 19288) Another object of the invention is to provide a yarn condenser construction formed with a bearing for engaging the surfaces of the fluted feed rollers on the roving frame for reducing the wear on the surfaces of these rollers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a yarn condenser for roving machine frames having a body member formed of a substantially hard ceramic material to reduce the wear on the body member about the yarn passage and provide bearing means on the body member formed by a coating on one end portion projecting outwardly from the sides of the body member to engage the surfaces of the rubber and fluted rolls formed of a material for reducing wear on the surfaces of these feed rolls.

These and other desirable objects may be attained in the manner disclosed as an illustrative embodiment of the invention in the following description and in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing fragmentary portions of two adjacent bottom feed shafts of a roving frame with adjacent bottom feed rolls of the last two pairs of feed rolls for feeding two strips of yarn through the roving frame in substantially spaced parallel relation and the condensers for the pair of yarn strips in operative position in advance of the bottom feed rolls of the last two pairs in the direction of feed of the strips of yarn;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross section through the last two pairs of feed shafts showing the yarn condenser in end elevation;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of one of the yarn condenser members constructed in accordance with the present in- Vention; and

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

A conventional form of roving frame used in the textile industry, but not shown, has a plurality of pairs of feed shafts mounting pairs of feed rolls for gripping a strip, strand or sliver of yarn and feeding it from the rear toward the forward end of the roving frame for winding on a bobbin after it leaves the last pair of feed rolls. The next to last pair of feed shafts in the roving frame is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in which the upper feed shaft is indicated at 2 and the lower feed shaft at 4. The last pair of feed shafts provides an upper shaft 6 and the lower shaft 8. Each pair of feed shafts carries a plurality of pairs of feed rolls having the peripheries of each pair engaged for feeding a strip, strand, or sliver of yarn or fibers between the rolls as they are rotated. Each pair of shafts has the pairs of feed rolls thereon aligned with the pairs of feed rolls on the adjacent shafts.

The next to last pair of feed shafts 2 and 4 carries a plurality of pairs of feed rolls having an upper feed roll 10 on the upper shaft 2 cooperating with a lower feed roll 12 mounted on the lower shaft 4 opposite to the upper feed roll 10 so the peripheries of the feed rolls are held in feeding engagement with one another. The two lower feed rolls 12 mounted on the lower shaft 4, as shown in FIG. 1, illustrate how two pairs of feed rolls are mounted in spaced relation on the next to last pair of feed roll shafts 2 and 4. The last pair of feed shafts 6 and 8 arranged in spaced parallel relation to the next to last pair of feed shafts 2 and 4 respectively, carries a plurality of pairs of feed rolls alined with the feed rolls on the next to last pair of shafts. The upper feed roll 14 on the upper feed shafts 6 of the last pair is alined with the upper feed roll 11 on the shaft 2. The lower feed roll shaft 8 of the last pair carries a plurality of spaced lower feed rolls 16 thereon, each arranged in alined relation with the corresponding lower feed rolls 12 on lower shaft 4 of the next to last pair. The lower feed rolls 16 are usually formed of metal having fluted peripheral surfaces While the feed rolls 1G, 12, and 14 are usually formed of rubber or equivalent composition material.

FIG. 1 shows how the two adjacent lower feed rolls 16 on the lower feed shaft 8 are arranged in alined relation with the lower feed rolls 12 on the lower shaft 4 to illustrate how two pairs of feed rolls may be arranged in adjacent relation on both of the last two pairs of feed shafts for feeding two strips, strands or slivers of yarn indicated at 18 in FIGS. 1 and 2. Each pair of feed rolls 10 and 12 on the next to last pair of feed shafts 2 and 4 respectively, engages on opposite sides of a strand or sliver of yarn 18 and grips and feeds the yarn toward the last pair of feed rolls 14 and 16 from which the yarn is then fed toward the front of the roving frame for twisting and winding on a bobbin. Each strip or strand of yarn 18 usually comprises a plurality of fibers of any desired character which may include natural fibers, synthetic fibers or a combination of both. In being fed through the pairs of feed rolls in the roving frame, these fibers in each strand or sliver 18 are flattened and widened to produce a wide substantially flat thin strand of fibers. It is desirable to reduce the width of these fibers before they are fed through the twisting mechanism for subsequent winding on a bobbin.

A condenser is usually provided for the purpose of reducing the width of the strand of fibers 18 before they enter between the last pairs of feed rolls 14 and 16 respectively.

According to the present invention an improved form of condenser is provided having a condenser body member 20 for each strand of fiber 18 positioned in advance of the surfaces of the last pair of feed rolls 14 and 16 respectively, near the position where they engage with the strand 18. Each condenser body member 20 is preferably formed of a ceramic material adapted to provide substantial resistance to wear by the fibers in the strand 18. For this purpose, it is preferred to form each body member 12 of a ceramic material, such for example as that known as Heanium made by Heany Industrial Ceramic Corporation of New Haven, Connecticut. Each body member 20 is of elongated rectangular formation as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 and of triangular form in cross section transversely of the body member as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.

A condenser unit is formed by mounting a pair of the body members 20 in alined relation on opposite ends of a supporting rod 22. The terminal portions of the supporting rod 22 are attached by suitable cement or the like in sockets formed in the adjacent end portions of the body members 20 to position them in spaced relation to each other so they will engage in advance of the two adjacent pairs of feed rolls 14 and 16 on the last pair of feed shafts 6 and 8 respectively. Each body member 20 is formed with a transverse slot 24 opening through the upper front face portion 26 of the body member 20 and the upper rear face portion 28 and the upper part of the lower rear face portion 30, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The transverse slot 24 opens through the upper edge portion of the body 20 as shown in FIG. 3. The transverse slot 24 forms a yarn passage in body member 20. The front face portion 26 of the body member 20 is formed with an oval shaped opening 32 substantially larger than the width of the transverse slot 24 with the walls of the body member between the opening 3 2 and the rear face portions 28- and 30 of the body member tapering inwardly and rearwardly toward the inner end of the slot 24 to form a substantially funnel-shaped guideway extending transversely through the body member 20 in forming the yarn passage.

The yarn passage formed in this manner receives the wide strand of yarn 18 from the next to last pair of feed rolls and 12 for guiding and forcing the sides of the strip of yarn inwardly toward each other to reduce the width of the strip of yarn in the strand 18 to a predetermined extent. This will reduce the width of the strand so it will be substantially narrower as it is discharged from the rear face portions 28 and 30 of the body member for engagement between the feed rolls 14 and 16 and subsequent feeding toward the front of the roving frame for win-ding on a bobbin.

In feeding or pulling the yarn through the funnel-shaped yarn passage in each body member 20, the body member will be pulled by the yarn 18 toward and held in engagement with the surfaces of the last pair of feed rolls 14 and 16.

It has been found that the ceramic material used in forming the body members 20 provides a substantial amount of wear on the surfaces of the feed rolls 14 and 16 and particularly on the surfaces of the fluted feed roll 16. A suitable bearing means is provided by the present invention on the body member 20 projecting outwardly from the surfaces thereof and engaged with the surfaces of the feed rolls for spacing the body member from the feed rolls and providing a bearing support for the body member on the feed rolls that will materially reduce and substantially eliminate wear on the feed rolls, particularly the fluted feed roll 16. This beating means may be of any suitable form which will provide an anti-friction cont-act for supporting the body member 20 in spaced relation to the adjacent surfaces of the feed rolls 14 and 16 respectively. The present invention provides for coating the outer free end of each of the body members 20 carried at opposite ends of the supporting rod 22 to form a suitable be-aring cap 34. The bearing cap 34 is formed by coating the end of the body member 20 with nylon so that it extends over the front and rear face portions 26, 28, and of the body 20 at the free end thereof to provide the bearing strip portions 36 having the outer surfaces adapted to engage the surfaces of the feed rolls 14 and 16 respectively. These bearing strip portions 36 'have the outer surfaces engaging the surfaces of the feed rolls 14 and 1 6 respectively, for supporting and spacing the body members 20 so that they will not engage these feed rolls while the strand of fiber 18 is being fed through the body member 20 for condensing the width of the strand in the normal operation of the roving frame.

The nylon bearing cap 34 is applied to the end of the ceramic body 20 by dipping it in a receptaclecontaining nylon in molten or liquid form according to a conventional process. The nylon will become firmly bound in integral relation'with the end of the body member 20. Only one end of each of the body members 20 is provided with the bearing cap 34 of nylon where a pair of body members 20 are mounted on a supporting rod 22, as shown in FIG. 1. This provides a cooperation between the supporting rod 22, the pair of body members 20 and the bearing caps 34 so that the strip portions 36 on each of the pair of body members 20 engage limited areas of two adjacent feed rolls 14 and 16 on the feed shafts 6 and 8 to provide a limited non-friction type of bearing surface in contact with each of these feed rolls for supporting the major portion of the body members 20 of the pair mounted on supporting rod 22 in spaced relation to the adjacent pairs of feed rolls for substantially reducing the wear on the feed rolls. The nylon material used to form the bearing caps 34 and strip portions 36 thereof has a low coefficient of friction in engagement with the surfaces of the feed rolls 14 and 16. The resulting wear that occurs is considerably reduced over that which would occur where the ceramic body members 20 engage the feed rolls 14 and 16.

The condenser construction formed as above described according to the invention is used with a pair of strands 18 as shown in FIG. 1. Each strand is extended through the yarn passage formed by the slot 24in one of the members 20 arranged so that the two strands of yarn extend through the pair of members 20 mounted on the rod 22. The two strands of yarn are simultaneously reduced in width in the yarn passage in both of the members 20 before they are engaged between the pairs of feed rolls 14 and 16 which draws the yarn through the yarn passages to produce a pair of strands of yarn of less width than the width of the strands before entering the condenser body members 20.

-It is seen from the foregoing disclosure that the objects and purposes of the invention are well fulfilled. It is to be understood that the foregoing disclosure is given by way of illustrative example only, rather than by way of limitation, and that without departing from the invention, the details may be varied within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. -In a roving frame assembly for textile machines having a plurality of pairs of feed rolls for gripping and feeding a strand of yarn fibers therebetween during rotation of said rolls, the last pair of said feed rolls having a fluted roll cooperating with a rubber covered roll, and a yarn condenser positioned in advance of said last pair of feed rolls for bearing engagement with the surfaces of said last pair of rolls, the combination of a condenser body member formed with a yarn passage having a large open front end and'tapering to a small open rear end for receiving a wide relatively loose strand of yarn and reducing the width of said strand of yarn for compacting the fibers in said strand as it passes through said yarn passage for subsequent feeding engagement between said fluted and rubber covered rolls, and bearing means mounted on said body member offset from said yarn passage having portions projecting beyond the surface of said body member for engaging the surface of said fluted roll to support said body member in spaced relation from said fluted roll and for reducing friction and wear on the surface portions of said fluted roll.

2. A construct-ion as claimed in claim 1, characterized by the fact that said body member is of elongated form having a generally triangular cross section arranged with the sides facing toward the surfaces of said last pair of rolls and with the edge of said body at the intersection of the sides thereof directed rearwardly toward the position where the feed rolls engage, and further characterized by the fact that said bearing means is in the form of strips mounted on the sides of said body member, offset from said yarn passage and projecting outwardly from the sides of said body member to engage and support said body member in spaced relation to the surfaces of said rolls while yarn is fed through said body member, said strips being formed to reduce wear on said feed roll surfaces.

3. A construction as claimed in claim 2, characterized by the fact that the strips forming said bearing means are formed of nylon.

4. -In a roving frame assembly for textile machines, wherein a plurality of pairs of shafts have the shafts of each pair carrying a plurality of pairs of feed rolls mounted thereon in spaced relation for feeding strands of yarn, one between each pair of feed rolls in spaced substantially parallel relation between all of said feed rolls and shafts in transverse relation, the last pairs of feed rolls on said shafts in the direction of yarn feed having one rubber covered roll and one cooperating fluted metal roll, and yarn condensers positioned in advance of said last pairs of feed rolls for bearing engagement with the surfaces of said last pairs of feed rolls, the combination of a pair of ceramic condenser body members, one for each of the last pair of feed rolls mounted in adjacent relation to each other on said shafts, a supporting rod having opposite ends attached to the adjacent ends of said body members, each body member being for-med with a yarn passage extending transversely through the central portion thereof having a large open front end and tapering to a smaller open rear end for receiving a wide relatively loose strand of yarn and reducing the Width of said strand of yarn for compacting the fibers in said strand as it passes through said yarn passage for subsequent feeding engagement between said rubber covered and fluted rolls, each of said body members having a bearing member mounted on the free end thereof formed by a coating of nylon plastic material embracing the free end of each body member and projecting beyond the surfaces of the sides of References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 491,209 2/ 189-3 Fla-ther 19159 2,206,232 7/1940 Martin 19288 2,659,108 11/ 1953' Bradley 5-7106 X 2,735,141 2/ 1956 Tarbox 19-288 X 2,914,811 1 2/1959 Cole et al. 19295 2,919,080 12/1959 Moore 57-406 X MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

P. C. FAW, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A ROVING FRAME ASSEMBLY FOR TEXTILE MACHINES HAVING A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF FEED ROLLS FOR GRIPPING AND FEEDING A STRAND OF YARN FIBERS THEREBETWEEN DURING ROTATION OF SAID ROLLS, THE LAST PAIR OF SAID FEED ROLLS HAVING A FLUTED ROLL COOPERATING WITH A RUBBER COVERED ROLL, AND A YARN CONDENSER POSITIONED IN ADVANCE OF SAID LAST PAIR OF FEED ROLLS FOR BEARING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SURFACE OF SAID LAST PAIR OF ROLLS, THE COMBINATION OF A CONDENSER BODY MEMBER FORMED WITH A YARN PASSAGE HAVING A LARGE OPEN FRONT END AND TAPERING TO A SMALL OPEN REAR END FOR RECEIVING A WIDE RELATIVELY LOOSE STRAND OF YARN AND REDUCING THE WIDTH OF SAID STRAND OF YARN FOR COMPACTING THE FIBERS IN SAID STRAND AS IT PASSES THROUGH SAID YARN PASSAGE FOR SUBSEQUENT FEEDING ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SAID FLUTED AND RUBBER COVERED ROLLS, AND BEARING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID BODY MEMBER OFFSET FROM SAID YARN PASSAGE HAVING PORTIONS PROJECTING BEYOND THE SURFACE OF SAID BODY MEMBER FOR ENGAGING THE SURFACE OF SAID FLUTED ROLL TO SUPPORT SAID BODY MEMBER IN SPACED RELATION FROM SAID FLUTED ROLL AND FOR REDUCING FRICTION AND WEAR ON THE SURFACE PORTIONS OF SAID FLUTED ROLL. 